Expedition Unknown

Sheremetyevo International Airport

Arriving at Yekaterinburg

Feb 5, 2019 - Ivan meets me at Koltsovo International Airport (SVX)

Ivan meets me at SVX

Hyatt Regency Yekaterinburg

Feb 5, 2019 - Saints Prince Peter and Princess Fevronia of Murom

Saints Peter and Fevronia of Murom

The cathedral-on-the-blood

Walking on the iced City Pond

Feb 5, 2019 - Legislative Assembly of the Sverdlovsk Region

Sverdlovsk Legislative Assembly

Hyatt Regency Yekaterinburg

Feb 6, 2019 - Yekaterinburg–Passazhirsky (Russian: Екатеринбург-Пассажирский) is the central passenger railway station in Yekaterinburg

Yekaterinburg–Passazhirsky railway station

Train from Yekaterinburg to Ivdel

Dzibeliya monogram on the mirror

Ivdel hotel

Ivdel hotel registration card

Ivdel hotel, we feel at home

Let the adventure begin!

Brian is trying hard to understand what I am saying, Aiden has given up, and Josh is having the time of his life.

Getting out of Ivdel

Morgan and Aiden. I believe it was Aiden's first Expedition Unknown because everyone kept telling him - don't worry, it is not always like that :)

Morgan & Aiden by the stove inside the truck

Vizhay

Feb 8, 2019 - Mike Libecki is educating us on hypothermia

Mike Libecki in Vizhay

Feb 8, 2019 - Teddy Hadjiyska and Josh Gates in Vizhay

Teddy and Josh in Vizhay

Josh Gates and Evan Stone

The fur hat

Josh Gates, Oleg Demyanenko

Travel in fashion to the Dyatlov Pass with a spinner (not mine)

Travel in fashion (not me)

Feb 8, 2019 - Ushma village, Oleg Demyanenko

Oleg Demyanenko, Ushma

Feb 9, 2019 - Leaving early Ushma village, long day ahead of us

Leaving Ushma

Ushma village

Super heavy sleds

Climbing Dyatlov Pass

Aiden, on the way up Dyatlov Pass

Birch trees going up Dyatlov Pass

Pushing the heavy loaded sleds

Birch trees going up Dyatlov Pass

My first glimpse at the Memorial

Feb 9, 2019 - One of a kind military tent Ural Expeditions built for us on the pass.

The tent at the pass

Feb 9, 2019 - Evan B. Stone at Dyatlov Pass. In the back one of a kind military tent Ural Expeditions built for us.

Evan Stone and the tent

Feb 9, 2019 - Mike Libecki (sleeping) and Evan Stone (smiling)

Mike Libecki and Evan Stones

Feb 9, 2019 - Did you know that Dyatlov group carried bear toys with them? Read more

Cuteness overload

Lowell Goodman and Mike Libecki

Dyatlov Pass

The Memorial at Dyatlov Pass

Dyatlov Pass

Filming on Dyatlov Pass

Joshua Gates at Dyatlov Pass

Feb 10, 2019 - Josh Gates, Brian C. Weed and Evan B. Stone at Kholat Syakhl

Josh Gates, Brian Weed and Evan Stone

Josh Gates on Dyatov Pass

One small step for man...

The Memorial plaque

Feb 10, 2019 - Josh Gates, Teddy Hadjiyska and Mike Libecki

At the Memorial

The Outlier Rock

The Memorial

A sign from Yeti

Feb 10, 2019 - tennis shoe, something that looks like a haousehold tool set and "Do not disturb, Yeti" sign

Souvenirs at the Memorial

View from Dyatlov group tent

Teodora Hadjiyska

Going down to the cedar tree

Going up to the cedar tree

The cedar tree

Camp at Dyatlov Pass

Feb 10, 2019 - Dyatlov Pass camp in relation to the Memorial

Camp at Dyatlov Pass

Feb 10, 2019 - Dyatlov Pass is marked with broken wings

Dyatlov Pass wings

Feb 10, 2019 - Going back from Dyatlov Pass to Izba Ilycha Hut

Form Dyatlov Pass to Izba Ilycha Hut

Sunrise on Auspiya river

Somewhere along Auspiya river

Map of the area hanging in Vizhay

Feb 11, 2019 - Seryozha and Kostya feeding Ural dumplings (Уральские пельмени) to the bears in Vizhay

Seryozha and Kostya, Vizhay

Back to Yakaterinburg

Mike Libecki is leaving

Hookah night at Double

The aftermath of the storm

On February 5, 2019, the camp was set up near the outlier (rock with memorial plaque) on the Dyatlov Pass by guide Alexander Fedotov. The photos before the storm are taken from February 5 to 11, 2019. Everyone left the campsite on February 11. A storm destroyed the camp that same night. All members of the expedition were extremely lucky to have escaped a blizzard that would have reenacted the tragedy that took place on the night of February 1, 1959.

Feb 5-11, 2019 - The camp is built with modern tents and protected from the winds

Feb 5-11, 2019 - Height 1079 (Kholat Syakhl)

Feb 5-11, 2019 - Alexander Fedotov is the hiker who has spent the most nights on the pass

Feb 5-11, 2019 - The interior of the tent

Feb 12, 2019 - The aftermath of the storm

Feb 12, 2019 - A memorial for the dead tent

Yekaterinburg cemeteries

On 5 Feb 2019 I received mail from Irina Varkentin saying "Hello! My name is Irina, I am a journalist from Yekaterinburg. I work on the city website. I found your project about Dyatlov’s group death (https://dyatlovpass.com/). Could you answer a few questions about your project and tell us a little about yourself for our website?"

How is this for a coincidence? Having signed a NDA about EXU I explained that I wouldn't answer any questions about the expedition, but this sweet thing Irina was interested in me. Consequently - in the bears too. We met on the 13th of Feb, Olga, the interpreter was also present at the interview and we had a great connection I think. After the interview in the Hyatt Irina obliged my request to take me top the the cemeteries where Dyatlov group are buried. Mihaylovskoe is pretty much straight forward knowing that the gate is from Gagarin St, but Ivanovskoe where Krivonsichenk and Zolotaryov are buried was a little adventure. Had to cover with scarfs and wrap in skirts provided by the Voznesenskaya (Ascension) Church to ask for the memorials just to be sent out to the grave diggers in the near by shack and one of them took us right where we came from across the cemetery and walked us through the snow to the memorials.

Zolotaryov memorial is new, we were looking for the old one, which is leaning on a nearby tree. The grave digger said that he personally installed the new memorila, and that Zolotaryov's relatives are sending somebody to watch over the grave and report back to them.

Did you know that among Dyatlov group possessions were two bear toys? They belonged to Slobodin and Krivonischenko.

I brought tangerines to Dyatlov group memorials on Dyatlov Pass and Yekaterinburg commemorating this mysterious birthday when the group split a tangerine on 30 Jan 1959. The last entry of the diary that we don't know who it belongs to says "Today is the birthday of Sasha Kolevatov. Congratulations. We give him a tangerine, which he immediately divided into 8 pieces (Lyuda went into a tent and did not come out until the end of the dinner). So another day of our trek went well."

The randevú on the 13 Feb 2019 resulted in the following article. Enjoy!

Photos by Irina Varkentin

Mihaylovskoe cemetery

Ivanovskoe cemetery

Award ceremony

It was a surprise. Josh was super busy but Kuntsevich persistence won and we all left touched by Peter Pan performance, children's owe before Josh, the diplomas and St George order pins. St George is apparently the patron Saint of pathfinders and scouts. It doesn't help that the badge resembles iron cross.

“Second star to the reicht and straight on till morning.” Josh Gates

* Walt Disney's 1953 Peter Pan suggests Neverland is located in space, adding a "star" to Peter's directions: "second star to the right, and straight on till morning". From afar, these stars depict Neverland in the distance. The 2003 film version repeats this representation, as the Darling children are flown through the solar system to reach Neverland.

Another tender moment that I will remember is when maya (10) asked Josh for his phone number, and she persisted even after I told her his number doesn't work in Russia. Josh said to himself: "How do I get out of this one?", and I suggested I give her my number, so we played him mumbling random numbers and me (as if translating) giving her my US number. Later we thought that this could develop in a phantom relation and clueless Josh ending up being a character in a story he is not aware of. As he said: "I can't explain to a 10 year old why she can't have the number of a 41 year old."

Photos by Anna Yazhuk